Memories Worth Keeping
by Fahlyndra Sky
Summary: Another one starring my favorite usul - Daq. After the death of his beloved girl friend, Daq decides to go to the extreme to stop the pain. Rating is for swearing.


**Silly little Disclaimer** - I don't own NeoPets.com or anything the great godly Adam & Donna create. I would be honored just to have them read a bit of my fan fics.  
  
**Author's Note** - This story is part fiction, part nonfiction. Dezdaemona really is gone, & Daq really was her boy friend. But... Daq was never Robot, & has always been green (exept for the two times he was speckled). He much more prefers the "plain" look. This story involves pets from my account lovely_luna16, & PurpleMoon16. Mostly, I wrote this story to show how much it can hurt a pet when his mate's account is deleted. And, as always, be kind.  
  
Memories Worth Keeping  
  
by Fahlyndra  
  
  
  
Bowing his head, Daq let the tears fall silently from his cheeks. The rain mingled with the tears, disguising the fact that he was crying at all. It poured down from the heavens, as though the clouds & sky couldn't believe their loss either. The roze fell from his paw onto the muddy grave, looking forlorn & lonely to him. No one in Neopia had known Dezdaemona, exept her siblings, her owner - and Daquin. But they too were gone, leaving him alone with his regrets. "I'm sorry Dez... I really did love you."  
  
He turned away, feeling guilty at the fact that he hadn't spent enough time with her. 'Now she's gone... And it's my fault.'  
  
His hand slipped into the pocket of his jacket to fondle the ring - A beautiful gold band accented with many tiny diamonds. "If only I'd given it to her... But I was a coward... Always have been a coward."  
  
A moan tinted with pain & despair escaped him, & he closed his eyes tightly. "I'm such a jerk."  
  
A few days later...  
  
"Do you think I should go check on him?" A white usul paced back and forth across the marble floor of the All-Pet's Cafe.  
  
"Naw, let him mope. May be good for him, or sumthin like that." Cute, the disco bruce behind the counter continued to pluck at his afro. The usul frowned & turned to Mintz, her other, more sensitive, brother.  
  
"Miiiiintz!" She whined to pull his gaze to her from the inventory list. He shrugged, & went back to scanning & checking.  
  
"Don't ask me sis... Daq's just a prick, let 'im cry for all we care. Damn, we need more napkins already..." Cute snorted in agreement.  
  
"Fine, I'm going to go get him! And, you - you- you meanies just stay here & be - mean!!"  
  
She stomped behind Cute & slammed the door shut behind her, rattling the windows. The two brothers eyed each other with indentical looks reading, "Do you think she's mad?", then went back to their tasks.  
  
Meanwhile, inside of 22513 Market Square, Neopia Central...  
  
Sitting in front of the TV was a green usul, who had probably once been handsome (as far as usuls go), staring with a blank look at a advertisment. His petpet, Zarq, nuzzled his hand trying to get a pat, but was only shoved onto the floor. It pouted, & crawled underneath the sofa. The advertisment was showing the faeries painting delighted pets. Music played, & "The Rainbow Fountain - Visit TODAY! Located in Faerieland!" was splashed across the screen. The usul's eyes, a dull, vapid green, shone again in a fiery emerald as a idea formed.  
  
***  
  
Luna rushed into the boy's bed room & stopped dead in her tracks. A bookbag was being was being stuffed full with clothes, NP, all on top of a rather fat Chezzoom, who was trying to stick his head though the flap to breath, by Daq, who was trying to gel his hair at the same time.  
  
"What in the name of the faerie queen are you doing?!"  
  
He squeezed the bottle a bit to hard in surprise & gel squirted in a huge pile onto one ear. "Luna! Um, what ever do you mean?"  
  
He shoved his bookbag behind him, & faked a smile. The gel slid down his ear, onto his cheek. Her eyes followed it's path of slime, & watched the blob fall onto carpet. Her mouth tugged down at the corners & she returned her gaze to him.  
  
"You know very damn well what I mean!" Her nose flared in anger.  
  
"Oh great, she's pulling a Mom on me..."  
  
His lips twitched & she stomped her foot. "You are NOT leaving this house! I know you miss Dez, but she's dead - "  
  
Her hands flew to her mouth, as she relized what had slipped. Daq's face crumpled, & he shoved past her with a determined look on his face. Luna could only slump against the doorframe, shocked she had let herself get so upset.  
  
Shoving a Ham & Cheese Sandwhich pack along with as many bags of gummis he could get into his bag, he hauled it to his shoulders, ready to do what he thought was the only thing he could...  
  
In the line at the Rainbow Fountain...  
  
If he leaned his head out of the line (which was in between two velvet ropes), all he could see was species from acaras to zafaras streaching on & on across the cloud path to the halowed Fountain. At first it'd been kinda cool to be standing on a cloud (but a tad bit scary to look over the edge, so he didn't but once), but the novelty wore off after the first hour. Zarq was curled up on his shoulder, fast asleep after eating three packs of gummis & a sandwhich. He could care less about what Daq was about to do.  
  
Daq doubted he was even moving, but grining painted pets kept walking past in the opposite direction. Once he saw a faerie usul & his heart skipped a beat. After scolding himself for even thinking of Cutie when he was doing this to get Dez out of his head & heart, he reached into his pocket to touch the tiny ring.  
  
It took over two & a half hours according to Neoke watch, but finally he stood before the ticket booth. It was a smallish structure, built like a toll booth, but still quite pretty. A kind looking earth faerie wearing a microphone headset grined & asked him, "Hello, & welcome to the wonderful Rainbow Fountain, thank you for waiting! How many tickets do you have?"  
  
He pulled out his two pink tickets both labeled "Lovely_Luna16 - __DAQUIN__", & stuttered," T-two, ma'am."  
  
He slid them under the glass partition for her inspection, whereupon she smiled & pushed them back.  
  
"What color do you wish to be Daquin?"  
  
He stared down at the cloud beneath him & muttered after much careful reflection, "Robot."  
  
"Okay then, you'll want to go the Uber Darkness Faerie for that!" She lifted the gate, & bid him good luck. He hardly heard her, because he was too busy looking in awe at the scene before him.  
  
The fountain bubbled & frothed, colors mixing & creating the correct combinations for the pets being served by the faeries. It was divided into five sections - one for each faerie. The air faerie seemed to be the busiest, painting many more pets faerie than the other faeries were. It seemed each color pertained to whatever faerie had created it. While he didn't like the sight of the evil faerie standing waiting for him, glaring & tapping her foot, but he stepped over anyways.  
  
The part of the fountain the Dark Faerie was in charge of was filled with clear, nomal looking water. He handed her the two tickets, then stood nervously before her.  
  
"Okay now sonnie, step into the fountain!" She commanded in a husky voice. Daq set his bag & Zarq on the wide edge, then put in one foot, followed by the other. He watched expectanly, but nothing happened. Zarq tipped his head at the faerie & gurgled, obviously wondering who had done her hair.  
  
Daq kept his hand in his jacket pocket, close to the ring, thinking all the while, "This is for you Dez...". The faerie mumbled some strange words, tossed in his two tickets & a chunk of metal. The water turned a silvery white, & began to steam.  
  
All at once a coolness shot up from his toes, through his legs, & into the pit of his stomach. It was highly unpleasant, & he felt as though he was coming down with NeoFlu. The seeping freeze worked it's way into his arms & head, all the way to the tip of his ears & tail. He couldn't bear it, & fell to his knees.  
  
"Ahhh, yesss..." The faerie cackled in laughter. He clutched the ring madly, imbedding it into his hand. A strange numbness was taking control of his brain... And his heart.  
  
He grasped at memories... Dez dancing in the meadow where they had met; Cutie laughing at the look he'd made when he'd been brave enough to eat his recipe at the cafe; fighting with Mintz & Cute over who had cheated in Cheat!; His mother's face of joy when he'd fallen out his egg face-first; Dez kissing him softly on the tip of his nose after he'd worked up enough courage to ask her out... All of them disapeared - He felt all of his emotions being sucked away into a black hole. He felt nothing. And in was bliss.  
  
And then everything was dark...  
  
"Daqqy-poo... Open your eyes." A soft voice that sounded amazingly familiar whispered in his ear. He did, blinking slowly, trying to focus on the blurry face a few inches before his. It was black, white & blue...  
  
"Dez?" After blinking quickly, the face became clear - It was Dez. She smiled down at him, obviously glad to see him. He heard his voice crack, "Am I - ?"  
  
"No, no, no, no..." She assured him quickly, shaking her head to empathize, "Your owner would never do that. You just passed out from the robotization." She stroked his mane lovingly, even though it was cold steel.  
  
"I wish you hadn't done that... I liked you the way you were. But, I must hurry, because the Earth Faerie is busy healing you. Daquin, I love you. You loved me. Nothing can change that."  
  
He opened his mouth to speak, but she lay a trembling finger across his lips, "I am gone, but my memory can never, ever die in you. Nothing can make you forget. Exept yourself..."  
  
She teared up, & he automaticly embraced her. "Dez... I'm sorry! It hurt so much to lose you, & I was a jerk to you..." He buried his face into her soft green mane & broke into tears.  
  
"No, you were you!" Her blue eyes laughed, & she grinned into one of his ears, "You - are - Daquin!" She pulled his away with a bit of trouble & poked his chest with each word.  
  
"Now that you know Daqqy-poo, I must leave. Please, never forget me...Your heart isn't such a bad place to be..."  
  
She got up from his side, turning to go. He rose to his knees & grabbed her hand, hoping against hope that this final act may somehow sooth his heart. She turned back to face him, her eyes wide in shock. He looked straight into her blue, blue eyes & whispered, "Dezdaemona Doe, will you be my wife?"  
  
She shook her head sadly & barely whispered, "Daq... You don't want to do this... Please..."  
  
His emerald eyes pleaded. "Dez... I need this."  
  
Before she could answer he slipped the tiny ring onto her paw, where it would stay forever. He felt a great warmth spread through him, & a light engulfed the couple.  
  
***  
  
"Okay, step back folks, just a lil botched painting! Com'on, com'on, give him room!" The Earth Faerie hoisted Daq to his feet & held him steady while the blood rushed back to his head, "Dearie, you gonna be alright?"  
  
He nodded, wobbling a bit. Looking down, he relised he was still green. "What happened to me?"  
  
The faerie gave a half-shrug, "Well, everything started okay, but then you passed out. And then... The metal just disapeared. Just melted right away! N'er seen anything like it in my life!Some say they saw a gh-" She shook her head in & restated herself, "I mean, a see-through type usul! Hogswash! Well, anyhow, we're really sorry, & have refunded you your tickets!"  
  
Daq stopped listening after he heard her say the bit about a ghost. His hand flew to one pocket, then the other. He pushed through the crowd of pets & the Earth Faerie, & combed over the fountain, glancing in each pool & all over the marble floor. "What the..."  
  
The ring was gone.  
  
The End 


End file.
